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Radiant plumbing how to#
Radiant plumbing install#

Why You'd Want OneĮliminates forever the discomfort of cold floors as it slashes energy bills. Heated water is pumped from a boiler through a loop of flexible tubing embedded in the floor. Hydronic Radiant Floor HeatingĪn energy efficient home heating system that turns entire floors into radiators, warming living spaces without uncomfortable hot or cold air pockets. In that category, radiant always wins, feet down. And there's no comparison when it comes to comfort. And you'll still need a separate air-conditioning system for cooling.īut if the price tag puts you off, consider this: Once it's up and running, a radiant heat system can be up to 30 percent more energy efficient than forced-air heating, depending on how well insulated a house is. (New builds where the tubes are buried in concrete slab tend to be the least expensive).

Radiant plumbing install#

Hot-water radiant costs more to install than other types of heating systems-from $6 to $15 per square foot depending on the method, whether you're starting from scratch or retrofitting, and where you live. "It's like putting a sweater over a radiator." "If the floor is too well insulated, radiant heating really doesn't make sense," Richard says.

Once the system is in place, you can cover it with most types of finish flooring, including hardwood and tile.Ĭarpet, however, can be tricky, especially if it has thick padding underneath. The flexible tubes can be installed in a variety of ways: on top of the subfloor in grooved panels or snap-in grids clipped into aluminum strips on the underside of the floor or embedded in poured concrete.

Radiant plumbing how to#

How to Install DIY Radiant Floor Heating.

Hot-water “hydronic” systems-the most popular and cost effective way to heat an entire house-circulate water from a boiler or water heater through loops of 1/2-inch polyethylene tubing. Electric radiant, which uses zigzagging loops of resistance wire, is generally retrofitted to a single room, such as a bathroom or kitchen. There are two basic types of radiant floor heating that supply this gentle, even warmth: hot water or electricity. Two Types of Heated Floors: Hydronic and Electric The warm air still rises, but it does so evenly over the entire floor, so the coolest air stays up at the ceiling. Those jarring ups and downs are absent with radiant floors, which may reach 85 degrees, tops, on a frigid day. The result is a phenomenon he calls "the cold 70," which is what you feel right after the hot air stops pumping from the registers. "You turn on the furnace, it quickly takes you to 68 or 70, and then shuts off," says Richard. The air in the room becomes uncomfortably stratified: Your head can be bathed in warmth while your toes lie in the frozen zone. Air blows out of the registers at a well-baked 120 degrees, rises to the top of the room where it quickly sheds heat, then drops back down as it cools. How does it differ from conventional heating?Ĭontrast that with what happens in a conventional forced-air heating system, the kind found in most American homes. Though the air temperature remains relatively constant, you stay comfortable because the surrounding surfaces aren't stealing warmth from your body. As the invisible waves of thermal radiation rise from below, they warm up any objects they strike, which radiate that captured heat in turn. In a radiant setup, the warmth is supplied by hot-water tubes or electric wires buried underneath the floor. It's also a highly efficient way to heat a house, increasing comfort as it reduces energy costs.

But a radiant heat system has more than just aesthetics going for it. That's the appeal of radiant floor heating, says This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, who has long been a fan. This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey helps guide you through two types of heated floors in terms of cost, installation, and energy efficiency to select the right one for your house. Just an even blanket of heat, right where you want it. No dust-spewing ductwork to run up your allergists' bills. No vents whooshing like a jet preparing for takeoff. The best heating system a house can have is the one you don't realize is there.